Musical Number and More!

Hola family and friends!!

   I love my district. We have grown so close in the last few weeks. This Sunday, the 5 hermanas in our district did a musical number in sacrament meeting. Hna. Graham had written a BEAUTIFUL arrangement of the "As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman" medley and Hna. Done is a pro at playing the flute and Hna. Romero, Hna. Done, and I added in the vocal harmonies. I was SO excited to see it all come together. I'll try to send a video. My district is so musical! It's awesome! We sometimes have little improv a capella jam sessions during study breaks and it is SO FUN!! It makes me want to be in Noteworthy so bad when I get back to BYU! We came up with our own rendition of "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" and it sounds SO COOL!! I love love love it! Music brings me so much joy. We performed our rendition for our teachers and they got quit a kick out of it.

 

Speaking of teachers, our morning teacher- Hermano May- is INCREDIBLE. He is seriously the most spiritual, Christ-like guy I've ever met. He's super polite and patient and friendly. We are so lucky to have him as a teacher. I feel the spirit every time he teaches. He always walks into class each day with a smile on his face and it brightens my day. Our class agrees that he is definitely going to be a general authority one day. NO JOKE. It's gonna happen. He tells us some pretty incredible stories from his mission. This week he told us about a girl he taught whose parents would never speak to her again if she joined the church and how hard it was for her because she wanted to be baptized, but she loved her family. They told her something along the lines of we need to be willing to give up everything for God. Anyway, she decided she was willing to make the sacrifice and committed to baptism. The next day her parents showed up and said that they loved her no matter what her decision was. MIRACLE.

 

Hna. Behan thinks I tell the cheesiest jokes in the world haha. She only laughs at them because they're so stupid. Haha, whatever. Our friend Hna. Freeman likes them. She tells me a lot of cheesy jokes too. I randomly made up a joke this week: "What do avocados do on sunny afternoons? They take a GUAC in the park!" Hee hee! Ok, so that's a pretty lame one, BUT I came up with it, so that's gotta count for something. ;) One of the elders in our district told us a funny story about Billy Murray that he'd heard. One time, Bill Murray walked into a restaurant, ate a fry off of some random guy's plate, said "No one will believe you." and walked away. Hahaha!! I would totally do that if I was famous!! So funny.

 

We've had some pretty embarassing misunderstandings this week. I'm learning the importance of really listening to the investigator instead of trying to think of what I'm gonna say after they're done talking. We were teaching an investigator and I had thought he'd said, "Who can be baptized?" So I answered 'someone with a desire who has repented of their sins', but Hna. Behan looked at me like I was crazy. I realized later he had asked, "Who can baptize me?" and I should have answered, 'someone who holds the priesthood and is worthy'. Haha so embarassing. During the same lesson, Hna. Behan said "Ba da bing ba da boom" and then laughed and attempted to explain what that meant in Spanish. Haha. She also said "capablahh" in a prayer this week when she was trying to think of the Spanish word for capable, but it just sounded like she was saying nonsense haha.

 

I got my hair trimmed today cuz they have a free haircut service here at the CCM. It didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to, but I touched it up a bit and it's fine. My blonder hair color is growing out though and it looks pretty bad. I didn't think it would be so noticeable when it started growing out, but it is. Hopefully the Nicaragua sun will lighten the roots.

 

Conference this weekend!! Woot woot!! Everybody watch it! Our Branch Prez. has challenged us to watch at least one session in Spanish so we're gonna do it, but my companion and I decided if we start watching and Elder Holland's speaking, we're switching over to the English one haha. He's my favorite. He kind of reminds me of dad, too. Just the way he talks or the sound of his voice or something.

 

I'm so grateful to be here and know it's where I'm supposed to be. I know God is watching out for me. He has a perfect plan.

 

Love you all,

Hermana Hawkins

Hey Hey Hey!

Hola familia y amigos!!

   This week wasn't too exciting so this won't be a very long letter, but I'm gonna try to send lots of pictures. This week, Hna. Behan and I were playing volleyball outside on a sand court during gym time and it started raining. It felt nice so we all kept playing and didn't mind getting wet. Then it started to pour and we were getting drenched. We got pretty cold and then it started to hail teeny pieces of ice so we ran back to our casa. It was fun, but we got soaked. We went to the temple again this morning and I felt like I was able to understand more than last time. Yeah, that's pretty much it for this week, other than the usual studying and teaching lessons and learning and growing and striving to improve. Love you all!

Hermana Hawkins

Week 2!!

Hola familia y amigos!

    So this last weekend was Mexican Independence Day! It's so cool that we got to be here for that. The whole week, they had different Mexican sweets at lunch to celebrate, but Mexican candy is nasty. Hermana Behan and I bought some laffy taffy things at la tienda, but it didn't taste like laffy taffy- it tasted like bubblegum toothpaste. Gross. On Saturday night, there was a fiesta for the whole CCM (MTC). WE gathered in the auditorium for a show. Mexicans sure know how to party. There was tons of cheering and it was super loud. A dance group made up of people that used to go to this school performed some Mexican dances. It was really fun to watch. The girls' dresses look so cool when they twirl them! I'll send some pics. After one of the songs, fireworks shot up from the stage. Awesome! At the end, the performers sand the "As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman" medley in Spanish. That was cool. Sunday night, there were fireworks and gun shots/other loud noises throughout the city in celebration.

    So I forgot to mention last week that we're in the intermediate class. It surprised me. I guess I know more Spanish than I thought I did. The stuffed I learned in high school is coming back to me. I'm amazed at how much we've learned these past two weeks. We've taught a bunch of lessons in Spanish without any notes and we're getting better at minimizing the amount of awkward pauses in lessons. We now have a second teacher named Hermana Nishigucci. She's pretty intense, but it's good that she's pushing us to work harder and learn more. The language barrier is still very frustrating. We had a first lesson with an "investigator" this week that went very poorly. We forgot so much of what we had planned to say, but we're learning how to improve our lesson preparation methods and how to use our time more effectively. People we're kidding when they said missionary work is hard. It really is. There are so many things to incorporate into a lesson. We need to be bold, but not overbearing. We need to explain things thoroughly, but not take too much time. And we need to focuz on the investigator, but also find ways to relate to them. It's tough to find a balance. I'm learning patience and stress-management.

     The elders in our district are really funny. We were talking about when we have lessons that don't go well and one of the elders said, as though he were ending a lesson, "Well that awkward and weird and uncomfortable. Can we come back tomorrow?" Hahaha, seriously, sometimes that's what it feels like. I've been playing the hymns for sacrament meeting, and even though I sometimes have to switch to only the top hand, I enjoy it. We've memorized the first vision and the missionary purpose in Spanish! Memorizing things makes me feel accomplished. Anyway, that's all for this week. Thank you all for your love and prayers!!

Count your blessing, Hermana Hawkins

 My Dad and I at the airport before I leave!

 My mom and I at the airport!

 My companion and I 

 Mexico City

 My district

 Mexico City Temple

 Mexico City

 View from the CCM

 View from the CCM

 CCM

 CCM

 CCM

 Awesome palm tree!

CCM

I Ate Cow Tongue!!

Hola mi familia!!!

      Who ever said it was hot in Mexico!! It's not! Ok, yesterday was pretty sunny and it got a little hot in the afternoon, but most of the time it's cool and at night, it can get pretty chilly! I wish I'd brought a sweater! It rains here almost every day.

My P-day is on Thursday. I love it here at the CCM (MTC). It's like a little bubble inside Mexico City. It's spread out and covered in trees and flowers.

My companion, Hermana Behan is from Illinois. Her last name is pronounces "Bee-ann" and get this: her first name is Cara- like "Carribean!! Isn't that cool!? She has a sister named Lez, but she doesn't go out much. Hahahaha just kidding. That's her favorite joke to tell haha. Hmna. Behan and I always hang out with our other Nicaragua sisters, Hmna. Howell and Hmna. Rogers, who we also connected up with via facebook before the mission. Sadly, they're not in our district, but we sit together at lunch and dinner.

       Guess what? I ate cow tongue the other day!! We didn't even find out till later. We thought it was roast beef. It tasted good! I wonder if I would have liked it as much if I had known what it was when I was eating it... haha. The food here is pretty good. I'm proud to say I have not had a bowl of cereal yet even though it's offered at every meal. They always have a lot of options. I tried this new fruit called an asian pear, which is like a cross between a pear and an apple and I love it! There have only been a couple things I've tried here that were pretty gross, but I just ate more fruit/salas/bread then. I will say that I hate flan. Yuck.

I got a free set of Spanish scriptures! That was pretty cool. We also got a ton of other resources that really help for learning Spanish. I love singing hymns in Spanish. It's really helping me with my pronounciation too.

  Our casas are really nice. There are four of us to a bathroom. Hmna. Behan and I share a room with Hmna. Finley from California and Hmna. Rosa from Mexico. Hmna. Rosa only speaks Spanish so it's helping us to practice a lot.

    I love our district! It's Hmna. Behan and I, a tripanionship of hermanas, and 3 companionships of Elders. We were kind of awkward at first, being careful to not seem like we were flirting, but we've grown closer throughout the week. Now it feels kinda like a family. We've started a tradition of singing hymns each night with our district. Our teacher is Hermano Mayo. He is AWESOME!! He is such a good teacher! I feel spiritually uplifted every day. He always seems so patient and sincere. He has what I would describe as "sad eyes" haha. He speaks in Spanish for 95% of the time, but Ive been surprised how much I'm able to understand! He pronounces things clearly and doesn{t talk super fast.

      The second and third days here was really overwhelming. I felt really inadequate, mostly about the language. It's hard to be patient with myself. I just want to be fluent right now! But I can feel myself progressing and growing and I'm learning to stop stressing so much. I'm doing my best and that's all that matters. Hmna. Behan and I get along super well. We're planning fun things we could do after our mission. She is better at Spanish than me and is also bold and willing to try new things so I'm learning a lot from her. I'm so glad we're companions.

    We learned how to pray in Spanish on our third day here and started praying in Spanish every day. Sometimes we don't know how to say something and switch over to English and then back to Spanish. We're getting pretty good at speaking Spanglish haha. Each week we have to prepare a 5 min. talk in mostly Spanish and then on Sunday they randomly call some people up to speak. I didn't have to speak last Sunday, but still had a talk prepared.

This really is HARD WORK. I'm pretty much tired all the time. But our teacher says, "If you're not tired, then you're not doing it right". Sometimes I feel like my brain is a sponge that can't possible soak up anymore information, but we still try! And it's definitely rewarding. I know my purpose and understand that these things are helping me improve.

    On our fourth day here, we had to give our first lesson in Spanish. We have to teach a lesson almost every night and it takes pretty much all day to prepare, but I've been surprised how well they've gone. We plan our lesson in English and then translate it to Spanish and then memorize as much as we can before it's time for our lesson. Then we stop stressing, focus on the spirit and see where the lesson takes us.

   This morning, we got to go to the Mexico City temple. I'll send some pictures if I have time. The whole thing was in Spanish and I didn't understand most of it, but it was alright. There were people there to help us.

   Most days, we get to go on the computers for an hour to use this cool language learning technology. There are headphones with microphones so you can practice your pronouncatiation.

   We are so blessed to be here. It's sad to think that people had to give up one of their top schools in Mexico in order for us to be here, but it makes me appreciate it all the more.

   We're not allowed to listen to any music here at the CCM, not even church music. It's a bummer. I miss it so much. We also are only allowed to take pictures on P-days. I can't believe I'm in Mexico! It doesn't feel real. This Friday is Mexican independance day so we get to go to some fiesta thing. That should be fun.

   Yesterday, our branch prez. called us into his office and called Hmna. Behan and I to be sister training leaders for our branch! Cool!

Oh, last thing, I got to play soccer on my P-day! Now I can say I've played futbol in Mexico!! I'm having a great time here.

 Well, I think that's all for now. I love you all so much!!

 

Count your blessings,

Hermana Hawkins

(Pictures to be posted)

FINALLY... all packed!!!

My Aunt Kathie made me this beautiful cake for my mission farewell!! In my favorite color and flavor! :)